Insights into pediatric epilepsy and systemic autoimmune disorders: A study using the national inpatient database

Background Epilepsy and systemic autoimmune disorders (SADs) are significant in pediatric populations, yet most research focuses on adults. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (2016–2020) for pediatric patients (≤18 years) with SADs. Patients with and without epilepsy were compared by demographics and clinical factors. Multivariate logistic regression assessed associations. To account for multiple testing, a Bonferroni correction set the adjusted significance threshold at α = 0.002. Results Of 4,816,131 pediatric patients, 5371 had both SADs and epilepsy. Multivariate analysis confirmed a strong association between SADs and epilepsy (OR: 2.79, 95% CI: 2.71–2.87). Addison's disease (OR: 10.09, 95% CI: 8.12–12.55), hypothyroidism (OR: 9.14, 95% CI: 8.8–9.48), vitiligo (OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 2.26–4.87), and autoimmune thyroiditis (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 2.8–3.77) were the strongest independent predictors (P < 0.0001). Conclusion Pediatric epilepsy is significantly associated with several SADs, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary approaches to manage these conditions.